Web 2.0 Policy & Leadership Project

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The World Wide Web has become a part of our everyday life. It revolutionized the way we work, play and learn. Web 2.0 applications (wikis, social networking, blogs, gaming, virtual reality, etc.) in particular have created a major shift in the way humans function, communicate and collaborate. This cultural shift is particularly apparent and significant for children, and youth who make heavy use of Web 2.0 in their everyday life outside school. While some question the appropriateness of Web 2.0 resources in school program, our Web 2.0 Policy and Leadership Project is based on the recognition that these resources can provide powerful learning resources for our children and thus prepare them for the world beyond the classroom. The purpose of this project is to assist schools to adapt to this new reality. 

Key Objectives

• Gather findings from existing research relevant to the use of new media in schools and the barriers to their adoption and scalability


• Assess the awareness, understanding, and perspectives of U.S. educational leaders (superintendents, district curriculum and technology directors/CTOs) and policymaker’s on the role, problems, and benefits of new media in schools within a participatory culture context


• Investigate and document how organizational and policy issues are critical obstacles for the effective deployment of Web 2.0 in teaching and learning programs of schools


• Develop a concise report of findings and construct an action plan for intervention


• Perform a series of public forums with McArthur grantees, and educators interested in policy and leadership issues related to the use of Web 2.0

About the Funder

John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

The MacArthur Foundation supports creative people and effective institutions committed to building a more just, verdant and peaceful world. In addition to selecting the MacArthur Fellows, the Foundation works to defend human rights, advance global conservation and security, make cities better places, and understand how technology is affecting children and society. With assets of $7 billion, the Foundation makes approximately $300 million in grants annually. 

Digital Media and Learning

In 2006, the MacArthur Foundation launched its five-year digital media and learning initiative. The initiative will help determine how digital technologies are changing the way young people learn, play, socialize, and participate in civic life. Answers are critical to developing educational and other social institutions that can meet the needs of this and future generations. The initiative is both marshaling what is already known about the field and seeding innovation for continued growth.

Partners

• Common Sense Media


• Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD)


• Association of California School Administrators (ACSA)

Consultants

• Metiri Group


• Winter Group